Monday, June 13, 2011

Inspiration



I look for it everywhere. In the books and articles I read, in the music I listen to, in my backyard, in other people's faces.
I want to be inspired to do better, to live a happy life, to make contributions to life in general.
I want to grow, I want to learn, I want to think of new ways to find peace and joy in my life.

Sometimes I feel stuck in a situation, not knowing which way to turn. Can I look at this differently? Can I learn from it?

I subscribe to online newsletters that sometimes spark a thought or idea in me. I have a collection of books that I love and go back to reread to give me encouragement.

Sometimes I think I am just sailing through life without a purpose and I want to make a change.

You can't get there if you don't know what you want. That is the big question isn't it? knowing what it is you want. Not just wandering aimlessly through life without direction, just going about your day with the to-do lists.

I want to create, I want to write, I want to inspire, I want to make a difference, but I also want peace in my life, I want calm, to be able to handle all situations with perspective.
How does that happen? day by day, minute by minute.

This weekend I found inspiration wandering through a local farmer's market with my mom.
I picked her up early Saturday morning, cloth shopping bags tucked under our arms as we wandered through the white tented tables laden with locally grown produce.

With money stuffed in my pockets I bought what caught my eye. Recipes and menu were not in my head, just the lure of beautiful, bright green shelled peas, brown woodsy mushrooms, a big loaf of Italian bread dusted with flour, a bundle of french tarragon, milky white Burrata cheese swimming in whey, sweet butter hand crafted by the Amish, tiny, beautiful bright yellow and red grape tomatoes, the scent of garden grown basil, sweet cherries, blushing blueberries. This tickled my senses, aroused my appetite, stirred my ambitious soul to cook.
With arms full of packages, we wandered back to the car, excited to be busy in the kitchen whipping up a meal fit for a king.

I came home ready to cook, to create whatever came to mind.

I laid out my purchases, wooden spoon and copper pots flying, I roasted peppers, made a blueberry cobbler, sauteed the mushrooms and peas with at touch of onion, garlic and sweet butter. I bathed the baby yellow and red tomatoes in olive oil and basil, toasted the airy bread and spread it with the creamy Burrata cheese. Oven roasted beets, sweet potatoes emerged on parchment lined baking sheets.

We had a feast to enjoy, inspiration found from a walk through the farmers market.

Look around you~inspiration is everywhere. In the whistle of the cool breeze, in the lyrics of a song, the pages of a book, a smile of the face of a stranger. Try something new, take a class, read a book, leaf through a magazine, talk to a neighbor. Take a deep breath and enjoy your day. It is a page in your life.
It is a gift just for you.

1 comment:

  1. drfrank1428@hotmail.comJune 13, 2011 at 8:34 AM

    Susan, You are a gift and a great inspiration to the rest of us. That surely is one of your purposes! Thank you.

    ReplyDelete